


Stag and Doe Night

by Leela



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-17
Updated: 2011-05-17
Packaged: 2017-10-19 12:03:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/200656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leela/pseuds/Leela
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus allows Harry to pick the venue for his traditional 'celebration' before they make a commitment to each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stag and Doe Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Alisanne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alisanne/gifts).



> **Beta** : eeyore9990
> 
>  **A/N** : Written for alisanne for correctly guessing one of my anonymous stories. She asked for Snape/Harry with a prompt of "entertainment".

Wrapped in his usual shield of disdain, wobbly though it felt that night, Severus exited the Floo and followed the glowing green and silver arrows down a long, dim hallway. Allowing Harry to pick the venue for his supposed 'celebration' before making a commitment to each other was, he had no doubt, one of the most imbecilic things he'd agreed to do in a lifetime of making not-always-intelligent decisions. If asked, however, he would have denied that vehemently and with a great deal of malice aforethought.

The door at the end of the hallway appeared innocent enough. Made of unadorned wood and boasting a plain brass knob, it had nothing to recommend itself or to provide any clues as to precisely what he was to be subjected. His scowl deepened, and his posture stiffened as he turned the knob.

He didn't like surprises. He'd thought Harry knew that after so many years.

Silence greeted him, unexpected but welcome. The empty room was neither too large nor so small as to be advertised as 'cozy'. The walls were painted in a deep colour that shimmered and changed in the light from the candles that floated overhead. It was furnished with a wingback chair and a side table that bore a glass, a bottle of his favourite wine, and a leather-bound book.

With a sense of foreboding as deep as that with which he'd first approached Harry, Severus swept towards the chair in a billow of black cloth.

Once seated comfortably, he poured himself a small amount of wine and lifted the glass off the table.

As he took his first sip, a burst of familiar magic filled the room. The candles dimmed and slow, sinuous music began to play in the background. Eastern, most definitely, but not something he recognised. A woman's voice began to chant, soft and low, in an unfamiliar language. It seemed to wind around him, encouraging him to relax, to trust, to stay.

Only his promise that he would do this kept Severus from leaving. He hadn't gone back on his word in many years, and he had no intention of doing so now that he was on a verge of a commitment that he'd once believed was not for the likes of him.

*

The second half-glass brought with it a deepening of the rhythm, and a lengthening and curling of the vowels that called to something long-buried inside him. However impatient he'd been when he arrived, he now felt as if he could spend hours in that room without worrying. Curious, he picked up the book and leafed through the first few pages. A grimoire, he was pleasantly surprised to discover, and one he hadn't read before.

He settled more comfortably into the chair, crossing one leg over the other, and returned to the beginning of the book.

*

The hours passed quietly, marked only by the rustle of pages, the occasional clink of glass on glass, and the ever-changing beat of an ancient drum. At some point, when Severus had crossed and uncrossed his legs one too many times, no longer finding that position comfortable, a footstool had appeared. His legs propped up and crossed at the ankles, he fell into a light doze.

*

Something woke him -- a change in the magic of the room, perhaps, or the almost inaudible sound of bare feet on a wood floor. His wand was in his hand before he so much as thought about needing it. He didn't open his eyes, however, or turn around. In fact, an unfamiliar observer might have been fooled into believing that he was still asleep.

"Did the evening's entertainment suit your fancy?" Harry gave Severus the diffident grin that had once enraged him but now served as a reminder of how insecure his partner could be.

Tilting his head, Severus examined Harry from top of bottom; his upper lip curled with disdain. "Far better than yours, it seems."

"Yeah, well, since yours was off limits, I had to let Ron and Draco organise my stag, didn't I?"

"I suppose you expect a reward for your sacrifice?"

Harry yawned and rubbed at his eyes. "A bit of comfort maybe."

Severus nodded his agreement, and Harry widened the chair into a sofa. Before he could so much as issue an invitation, Harry had curled up next to him, with his head in Severus's lap. Severus wrinkled his nose at the stink of whisky that rose off Harry, but said nothing. He placed his book on the table, and the candlelight dimmed further.

After casting a quick spell to verify and strengthen the wards, Severus closed his eyes again. He fell asleep to the sound of Harry's breathing, one hand buried in Harry's hair and the other holding onto his wand.


End file.
